NUTRITION COACH? DECONSTRUCTING RESEARCH - CEU CORNER

 
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NUTRITION COACH? DECONSTRUCTING RESEARCH - CEU CORNER
®

OPT™ MODEL

  +
CASE STUDY

RESTORATIVE
   YOGA
                     WHAT IS A

                 NUTRITION
CEU CORNER:        COACH?
DECONSTRUCTING
RESEARCH

                           SPRING 2020
NUTRITION COACH? DECONSTRUCTING RESEARCH - CEU CORNER
SPRING
VO L UM E THI RTY- E I G HT / / N U M BER T WO
                                                                                                                   2020
  ON THE COVER
  36 THE SATISFYING ROLE OF
      A NUTRITION COACH
      Serving up an important
      way to help clients reach
      their goals.
      BY ANDREA BLAIR CIRIGNANO

                                                                                                                                       53

                                                                                                           12
RESEARCH, INDUSTRY                   FEATURES                                 GROUP EXERCISE                       RESTORATIVE
NEWS, BUSINESS TIPS                                                                                                MOVEMENT
                                     24 HOW TO UNDERSTAND RESEARCH           16 CREATING CLASSES FROM ONE-
                                         CEU CORNER: Read beyond the              ON-ONE EDUCATION
07 TRAINING EDGE: INDUSTRY NEWS,         abstract and cut through the jar-        BY KYMBERLY WILLIAMS-EVANS, MA   67 FINDING PEACE
    INSIGHTS & TOOLS                     gon to find the facts that matter.                                            IN A STRESSFUL WORLD
    BY LAURA QUAGLIO                     BY JENNIFER KLAU, PHD                53 HIIT + SCIENCE + CREATIVITY =         BY SHELBY LAFRINERE
                                                                                  SUCCESS!
20 GROUP FITNESS BY THE NUMBERS:     44 OLDER CLIENTS? PROGRAM FOR
    MAKE METRICS WORK FOR YOU            ABILITY—NOT AGE.
                                                                                  BY LYNNE SKILTON-HAYES
                                                                                                                   AFAA-NASM
    BY KATE REZABEK, MED                 BY RICH FAHMY, MS
                                                                              NUTRITION                            NEWS & VIEWS
70 Q+A: YOU ASK, WE ANSWER
    BY TONY NUÑEZ, PHD               PERSONAL TRAINING                        57 FOOD NEWS & FACTS                 04 CONNECT
                                                                                  BY ANNE WARREN
                                     12 BASEBALL TRAINING THAT COVERS                                              05 PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
                                         ALL THE BASES                        64 NUTRITION COACHING FOR TEENS
                                         BY MARTY MILLER, DHSC                    BY SARAH SNYDER, RDN

                                     50 THE NASM OPT™ MODEL AND THE

64
                                         WEIGHT LOSS CLIENT
                                         BY RICK RICHEY, DHSC, MS

                                                           SPRING 2020 / AMERICAN FITNESS                                                     3
CONNECT

                                                 AMERICAN FITNESS
                                                                                     EXECUTIVE TEAM
                                                                                  P R ESID ENT AND PUB LISH ER
                                                                                        Laurie McCartney

                                                                    GE N E RAL MA NAGER O F INT ERNAT IO NAL FIT NESS
                                                                                      Brad Tucker

                                                               V I C E P RE S I DE N T O F SALES AND B USINESS D EVELO PM ENT
                                                                                            David Correia

                                                                    VI C E P RE S I D ENT O F O PERAT IO NS AND ANALY T ICS
                                                                                           Luis Guzman

                                                                                     EDITORIAL STAFF
                                         CON TE N T AN D COMMU N I CATI ON S M ANAGER                Greg Esposito

                                                   DI RE C TOR OF C U STOM P U B LISH ING            Sandy Todd Webster

                                                                           E DI TOR IN CH IEF        Joy Keller
                                                                              ART D IRECTO R         Annie Morley
                                                         E XE C U TI VE MAN AGI N G ED ITO R         Kate Watson
                                                                      P RODU C TI ON ED ITO R        Judy Minich
                                                                        A S S OC I AT E ED ITO R     Sarah Kolvas

        CON TRI BU TI N G ED ITO RS                                                                  Megan Hard
       		                                                                                            Laura Quaglio

        CON TRI BU TI N G WRIT ERS                                                                   Andrea Blair Cirignano               Laura Quaglio
       		                                                                                            Rich Fahmy, MS                       Kate Rezabek, MEd
       		                                                                                            Jennifer Klau, PhD                   Rick Richey, MS, DHSC
       		                                                                                            Shelby Lafrinere                     Lynne Skilton-Hayes
       		                                                                                            Marty Miller, DHSC                   Sarah Synder, RDN
       		                                                                                            Tony Nuñez, PhD                      Kymberly Williams-Evans, MA

          ATHLETI CS AND FI TN ES S A S S O C I ATI O N O F A M ERI CA ( AFA A)                                NAT I ONAL ACAD E M Y OF S PORT S M E D I CI NE ( NA S M )
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       community, areas covered, and your qualifications to write the piece. Your query will         sarily those of the publisher, AFAA, NASM or their parent corporations or affiliates.
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       our audience, we will follow up with you.                                                     for every reader or for every reader’s students and clients. Readers are urged to consult
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       FITNESS, 1750 E. NORTHROP BLVD., STE. 200, CHANDLER, AZ 85286. VOLUME 38, NUMBER 2.

4                                                                      AMERICAN FITNESS / SPRING 2020
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

                                     SEASON OF RENEWAL
                                     These have been challenging months, yet you and all our community have answered
                                     the call with creative ideas and innovations. Your feedback and helpful suggestions
                                     continue to provide valuable solutions. By sharing your guidance and expertise, and by
                                     leveraging the latest technologies with your clients, you’re making the world a healthier
                                     and happier place.
                                        This month’s cover story focuses on nutrition, a health and wellness cornerstone. It’s
                                     also a common point of confusion for your clients, who struggle with a steady stream
                                     of fad diets and misinformation. In “What Is a Nutrition Coach?” by Andrea Blair
                                     Cirignano (page 36), we reveal insights and strategies that help people achieve their
                                     goals—and are all within the nutrition coach’s scope of practice.
                                        For the first time in history, there are more people age 64 or older than there are
                                     children 5 years and younger. This is a golden opportunity to work with a growing
LAURIE McCARTNEY, PRESIDENT          older-adult population. All you need is the right toolkit, so be sure to read “Custom
                                     Performance Paths for Older Adults: Program for Ability, Not Age” by NASM Master
                                     Instructor Rich Fahmy, MS, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, SFS (page 44). Fahmy helps you

    TAKE FIVE                        gain a keener understanding of progression and regression techniques for each indi-
                                     vidual’s needs, goals and abilities.
                                        In this overwhelming age of information, with so much data coming at you, we
                                     want to arm you with the best techniques to decipher key takeaways. Inside our new-
 CHECK OUT FIVE OF                   est CEU Corner, “Anatomy of a Research Paper: How to Read Beyond the Abstract"
 OUR FAVORITE HIGHLIGHTS             by Jennifer Klau, PhD (page 24), we break down the jargon and explore two sample
 FROM THIS ISSUE!                    studies by outlining which questions were asked, how they were answered, the types
                                     of statistical analyses that were done, whom the findings pertain to, etc. Ultimately,

 24
       CEU CORNER: ANATOMY
                                     you will learn how to separate the clutter from the substance and apply it to your work.
       OF A RESEARCH PAPER:
       HOW TO READ BEYOND            Plus, you’ll earn some free CEUs.
       THE ABSTRACT                     To be at our best, we all need rest and recovery time. That’s why Shelby Lafrinere’s
       Find the facts that matter.   “Finding Peace in a Stressful World" (page 67) is so timely. You’ll also appreciate
                                     “Turn Up the Burn: The NASM OPT™ Model and the Weight Loss Client” by Master

 36
       WHAT IS A                     Instructor Rick Richey, DHSC, MS (page 50), which highlights the methodology that
       NUTRITION COACH?              revolutionized the training industry.
       Help clients focus on the
                                        During this season of renewal, please know that our mission is to support you—
       bigger picture.
                                     the industry’s personal trainers and group instructors—with tools and knowledge to
                                     continue your important work. We value your feedback and welcome you to connect

 44
       CUSTOM PERFORMANCE
       PATHS FOR OLDER ADULTS:       with us. Please share how your skills are making a difference in the world.
       PROGRAM FOR ABILITY,
       NOT AGE                       Yours in health,
       Get an assess—not
       assume—mindset.

 50
       TURN UP THE BURN: THE
                                     Laurie McCartney
       NASM OPT™ MODEL AND
       THE WEIGHT LOSS CLIENT        President – Global Fitness & Wellness Solutions
       Strategically kick up the
       calorie burn.
                                               facebook.com/personaltrainers/

 67    FINDING PEACE IN A
       STRESSFUL WORLD
       Help center clients with
                                               facebook.com/afaa.fit/

                                               instagram.com/nasm_fitness/
       restorative yoga.
                                               instagram.com/afaa_certified/

                                         SPRING 2020 / AMERICAN FITNESS                                                      5
Expires 8/31/2020

    SIGN UP TODAY! 1-800-460-6276 | Learn more at NASM.org/CPT
                           *Terms and conditions apply.
BY LAURA QUAGLIO

 Training Edge                                               [ INDUSTRY NEWS, INSIGHTS & TOOLS ]

                                          Avoid Spring
                                          (Over)Training

I
        f clients are showing signs of        how important recovery is, in terms of                  line, which may help to pinpoint the
        overtraining syndrome, tweak-         seeing the results they want.”                          cause.
        ing their workouts may not be            Mahaffey adds that the NASM Op-                         Let workouts counterbalance
        the best remedy. According to         timum Performance Training™ model                       life. “If what’s outside the gym be-
        a Brazilian study published in        is “so systematic” she has never seen                   comes higher-intensity, then we write
        BMC Sports Science, Medicine          clients develop OTS from an NASM                        a program that’s lower-intensity—
 and Rehabilitation, “Excessive train-        OPT™–based program. Here are a few                      maybe just going back to Phase I for
 ing results from a combination of dif-       of her tips to help clients avoid devel-                a while,” says Mahaffey. The flip side
 ferent triggers, including insufficient      oping OTS as a result of other factors:                 may be true, too: If clients retire, for
 caloric intake, excessive physical and          Revisit the PAR-Q regularly.                         instance, they may benefit from a
 concurrent cognitive effort, and poor        Think about whether you’ve talked                       little more mental and physical chal-
 sleep quality, instead of the traditional    about these topics recently: job de-                    lenge in their sessions.
 theory centered on overtraining”             mands, amount of sedentary time,                           Sneak recovery into the pro-
 (2019; 11 [21]).                             repetitive movements, work, hobbies,                    gram. Mahaffey seldom suggests
   This may come as a big surprise            footwear, health changes and nutri-                     clients take a week off from the gym,
 to clients, notes Kinsey Mahaffey,           tion/diet. Intermittent fasting, for ex-                but if she does, she still provides
 MPH, a Houston-based NASM Master             ample, can lead to woozy workouts, so                   homework, such as foam rolling,
              Trainer and Master In-          clients may need to shift their timing.                 stretching and proper nutrition. Other
                     structor. “They think       Make note of “first mentions.”                       times, she simply adapts workouts
                       all the work is done   The first time a client comments on                     without clients even noticing.
                          in the gym,” she    something out of the ordinary (e.g.,                       “Never say, ‘We’re going to take it
                            says. “They       sleeping poorly, feeling sore, being                    easy.’ Say, ‘I’m going to challenge you
                            don’t realize     stressed), Mahaffey puts a note in the                  differently today—with balance drills!’
                                              client’s file. That way, if it becomes a                or ‘I’m going to show you a few cool
                                              pattern, she has a record of the time-                             foam-rolling techniques,’”
                                                                                                                     Mahaffey suggests.
                                                                                                                      “When you’re work-
                                                                                                                      ing with people who
                                                                                                                      tend to do too much
                                                                                                                        too soon, you have to
                                                                                                                         challenge their inner
                                                                                                                        competitor to get their
                                                                                                                      buy-in.”

Do You Know
 the Signs of
Overtraining?
  SEE PAGE 9!
                                                 S P RI N G 2 0 2 0 / A M E R I C A N F I T N E S S                                           7
TRAINING EDGE INDUSTRY NEWS, INSIGHTS & TOOLS

FORM FIX-UP WITH MIKE FANTIGRASSI

          GREAT GLUTES BY SUMMER?
  CAN
CLIENTS
  GET

                                               T
                                                          he short answer is no, says NASM          Cable kickbacks. If the back is
                                                          Master Instructor Mike Fanti-         arching, reduce the weight and decrease
                                                          grassi, NASM-CPT and Master           range of motion until you feel the glutes
                                                          Instructor. “As far as achieving      working.
                                                          noticeable results from glute             Squats. Place the barbell high on
                                                          workouts, it typically takes a        the back, on the traps, to better target
                                                 year to 2 years,” he says. And, as with        the glutes. Rather than keeping the head
                                                 all types of hypertrophy, results will vary,   and chest up, clients should aim to keep
                                                 depending on factors like genetics and         the shins and torso parallel (and angled).
                                                 age—as well as workouts and nutrition.         Also, unless knee problems exist, it’s ac-
                                                 Building muscle requires an added intake       tually okay for the toes to travel forward
                                                 of about 300 calories per day and a            past the knees.
                                                 minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound             Step-ups. During the step-up
                                                 of body weight per day.                        motion, lean forward a little bit (as in a
                                                      Fantigrassi recommends using the          forward lunge) and weight the leg on the
                                                 overhead squat assessment (side view) to       step to minimize the work of the back leg
                                                 check for an arched back, which makes it       during push-off. (Treat the back leg more
                                                 difficult to activate the glutes. Even after   like a kickstand.) Most important: Control
                                                 corrective exercise addresses this, it’s       the descent, touching down with a flat
                                                 important to keep an eye on form to en-        foot (not toe first). This eccentric/nega-
                                                 sure that clients are not enlisting the help   tive movement is where the hypertrophy
                                                 of the hamstrings or lower back during         really happens!
                                                 glute moves. Some examples:

Resting
Heart
Rate:
New Findings
                                                        greater RHR variability
                                                        than other adults, and

on What’s Normal
                                                        women overall showed
                                                        more fluctuation than
                                                        men (doi.org/10.1371/
When using resting          week period, individual     journal.pone.0227709).
heart rate to calculate a   RHRs ranged from 40 to         The American Heart
client’s target training    109 beats per minute—a      Association recom-
zone, be sure you know      difference of nearly 70     mends having people
what’s normal for the       bpm. Further, 20% of        take their pulse first
client in question. A re-   participants showed a       thing in the morning,
cent article in PLOS ONE    fluctuation of 10 bpm       before getting out of
reported that, among        or more during at least     bed. Getting at least a
more than 92,000 people     one of those weeks. Also    few days’ worth of data
whose heart rate data       of interest: Women of       will make it is easier to
was collected over a 35-    childbearing age had        notice fluctuations.

8                                            AMERICAN FITNESS / SPRING 2020
PHOTO BY BROOKE HEWITT-MORGAN, CAPTURED ESSENCE PHOTOGRAPHY

                                                              Body-Positive Check: Are You                                                                             in the woods or preparing a

                                                              Picking the Right Pictures?
                                                                                                                                                                       healthy recipe.
                                                                                                                                                                           Get your own photos! For
                                                                                                                                                                       the picture shown on this page,
                                                              Whether you’re creating bro-       disclaimers about retouching,          Ditch the “transformation”     Goerzen invited photographer
                                                              chures, posters or social media    that didn’t prevent body dis-      pics. While many people use        Brooke Hewitt-Morgan from
                                                              posts, you want to choose im-      satisfaction among viewers—in      before-and-after imagery to        Captured Essence photography
                                                              ages that can inspire your cur-    fact, sometimes it made it         showcase their results, Goerzen    to accompany her on a 1-day
                                                              rent and potential customers.      worse (2020; 32, pp. 34–52).       says people don’t need yet an-     women’s body-positivity retreat
                                                              That may be easier said than           Here, Goerzen offers some      other opportunity to compare       last summer. At the end of the
                                                              done, says Gillian Goerzen,        thoughts to keep in mind when      themselves against others.         day, everyone—including some
                                                              author of The Elephant in the      making posts or posters for        If you want to talk about          women who had not been in a
                                                              Gym: Your Body-Positive Guide      your business:                     transformations, she suggests      swimsuit in decades—stepped
                                                              to Writing Your Own Health and         Consider whether words         focusing on how exercise can       proudly onto the beach to-
                                                              Fitness Story (Winchelsea Media    will do. Often, Goerzen skips      generate feel-good hormones        gether. Not only did the women
                                                              2018). “There are not a lot of     the pictures in favor of inspir-   or improve health metrics like     have an empowering day, but
                                                              stock images of diverse bodies,”   ing quotes or mantras. “Why        blood pressure and A1C levels.     with the appropriate photo
                                                              she says. “But it’s important to   do we have to have visuals             Show what’s possible for       releases and permission from
                                                              get these images ‘right.’”         at all?” she asks. “Sometimes      every body. “I know a lot of       the photographer, Goerzen
                                                                  A recent study in the          a bright background and an         bigger-bodied women who            could use the images for future
                                                              journal Body Image found that      intriguing font will capture the   are rocking their fitness!” says   promotions.
                                                              even when photos included          same attention!”                   Goerzen, who likes to post             Don’t have a budget? One
                                                                                                                                    pictures that prove it. Look for   way to cut down on costs, notes
                                                                                                                                    photos that present diverse        Goerzen, is to create a recipro-
                             Memory Jogger:                                                                                         participants doing a wide array    cal relationship. For example,

                             Do You Know the Signs                                                                                  of activities.
                                                                                                                                        Show yourself in “normal”
                                                                                                                                                                       help a photographer build a
                                                                                                                                                                       portfolio by offering to model,
                             of Overtraining?                                                                                       mode. Goerzen does not want
                                                                                                                                    clients to compare themselves
                                                                                                                                                                       or invite the photographer to
                                                                                                                                                                       an event where he or she can
                                   The number-one sign of overtraining—or, at least, the one that’s                                 with her, so her website shows     later sell images to local media
                                   easiest for fitness professionals to spot—is a decrease in exercise                              her in regular (not revealing)     or participants. (For a sample
                                   performance over the previous 7–10 days. Here are some other                                     workout clothes doing things       release form, visit nasm.org/
                                   things to watch for:                                                                             she loves to do. In fact, many     docs/default-source/PDF/
                                       • decreases in appetite, body weight, motivation/adherence                                  of the pictures show her do-       testimonial-and-photo-release-
                                       • increases in blood pressure, irritability, soreness, resting                              ing low-key things like tying      form.pdf.)
                                         heart rate, sleep problems                                                                 her running shoe, doing yoga

                                                                                                                 SPRING 2020 / AMERICAN FITNESS                                                       9
TRAINING EDGE INDUSTRY NEWS, INSIGHTS & TOOLS

 Bring Your
“Game Face”

A
TO GROUP EX
Athletes have long been putting on a
“game face” to intimidate the competi-
tion or just get pumped for an event.
It is so effective that a recent study by
the University of Tennessee, Knoxville            ATTRACT AND RETAIN
looked at whether it could improve
                                                  GREAT TALENT
                                                    (WITH)
performance on a cognitive task like

                                                 FREE CEUs
putting together a puzzle. The resultant
article in Stress and Health reported
that it did—significantly (doi:10.1002/
smi.2899).
    There are advantages to game face in
the fitness world, too. Let clients know
you expect them to make faces, noises
and mistakes in class. Some ways
to ease them into showing a game face:
    • Start with a dramatic breath.
       After a tough segment of the work-
                                               “Recruitment of fitness professionals is a major    biggest names in the industry. Acquired in 2019
       out, cue the class to do a release
                                               problem for clubs,” says Derek Weaver, NASM-        by Ascend Learning, whose portfolio includes
       breath: Inhale deeply through the
                                               CPT, AFAA-GFI, and B2B relations manager for        NASM and AFAA, ClubConnect now offers fitness
       nose, then exhale loudly through
                                               NASM and AFAA. “It’s estimated to cost between      professionals hundreds of courses, certifica-
       the mouth.
                                               $5,000 and $7,000 in time and advertising to find   tions and specialty trainings from more than 18
    • Model it. Make faces, smile and         and hire someone new.”                              agencies.
       have an animated expression when            And the number-one concern of fitness               When a club joins the ClubConnect family, its
       you demonstrate a move—and              professionals—particularly after earning their      staffers gain access to unlimited CEUs for free.
       when you walk around the room—          certification—is how to secure a good position      That not only attracts world-class instructors
       so members will mirror you.             at a location where they can work and thrive.       and trainers—it also makes them want to stick
    • Compliment their game faces.            “We want them to feel, 5 or 10 years down the       around. In fact, a report from Forbes found that
       For example, say, “I can tell from      road, that becoming a fitness professional was      87% of millennials say that career development
       your faces that you are pushing         the best decision they ever made,” says Weaver.     is an important consideration in a job. Unlimited
       hard! Great job!” or, “That’s a great       Enter the software platform ClubConnect,        continuing education speaks to this perfectly.
       game face! That’s what I want to        which helps industry professionals develop last-        “I see it as an employment benefit,” says
       see!”                                   ing and meaningful connections.                     Weaver. “You’re providing training that helps
    As a side benefit to this approach,            Since 2014, ClubConnect has been providing      fitness professionals do better, and if they do
participants will likely stop holding          online fitness education and workflow solu-         better, they’ll stay longer. By solving for reten-
their breath during the workout. They          tions for health clubs by partnering with the       tion, you also solve for recruitment.”
may also feel more relaxed about other
potential embarrassments, like diges-
tive noises or lack of coordination. When

                                               THE EFFECTS OF EXERCISE ON
the studio becomes a safe place to make
faces, noises and mistakes, members

                                               U
will likely notice—and come back
for more.                                      Until recently, most of the         predisposition to physical        Exercise Training Institute.
                                               evidence related to risk            activity (of all types, not       “However, there is so
                                               reduction for prostate              just programmed exercise)         much evidence already
                                               cancer involved maintain-           were 51% less likely to           to support the need for
                                               ing a healthy weight. But           develop this particular           exercise prior to and
                                               recently, based on a U.K.           form of cancer.                   during treatment, during
                                               study of 140,000 men, the              “This is great news,”          recovery, and as part of
                                               International Journal of            says Andrea Leonard, a            long-term survivorship.
                                               Epidemiology reported               36-year cancer survivor           It honestly helps at every
                                               that those with a genetic           and founder of the Cancer         stage of the game.”

10                                             AMERICAN FITNESS / SPRING 2020
Solve the
“Revolving Door of Beginners”
    With Digital
       Machines
             The fitness industry       of beginners.” Too often, new
             started out focused        members who do not choose
      on bodybuilders,” says John       a personal training package
      Ford, North American CEO          quickly realize they don’t know
      of EGym, an international         what to do, so they don’t get
      manufacturer of advanced,         results—and, soon, they’re
      smart-connected strength          gone. “We’d love to see the gym
      training equipment. “Gyms         industry make an impact on
      have essentially had the same     the health and obesity crisis in
      equipment since the days of       America,” Ford says. “But first
      Arnold Schwarzenegger, even       we have to make the gym work
      though the customer has           for everyone, including the
      changed dramatically [over the    beginners.”                        gym equipment that includes         Ford, gyms can make it easier
      years].”                              What many people are           gamified programming, data          for beginners to get started and
          This, says Ford, is one       comfortable with today is          collection and analysis, and        keep going, even if they don’t
      reason for the “revolving door    technology. By introducing         high-tech safety features, says     sign up with a personal trainer
                                                                                                               at first.
                                                                                                                   Interestingly, he notes,
                                                                                                               gyms that have brought in
                                                                                                               self-guided beginner-circuit
                                                                                                               equipment have experienced a
                                                                                                               substantial increase in personal
                                                                                                               trainer use.
                                                                                                                   One tip he offers for clubs
                                                                                                               in the market for new digital
                                                                                                               equipment: Ask prospective
                                                                                                               suppliers about compatibility
                                                                                                               with other companies’ software,
                                                                                                               hardware, apps and devices.
                                                                                                               This way, you can begin to plan

PROSTATE CANCER
                                                                                                               for possible add-ons in the
                                                                                                               months and years to come.

   The problem, says          forward-flexed at the hip       and confidently create
Leonard, is that most         and unable (or afraid) to       exercise programming
trainers don’t realize the    stand erect, so you must        for people with any type               LAURA QUAGLIO has been a writer
safety and liability issues   have them perform exer-         of cancer, CETI offers the             for the National Academy of Sports
related to working with       cises that will correct their   Cancer Exercise Specialist                               Medicine since 2013.
people who have cancer.       posture prior to having         Advanced Qualifica-                                      Her favorite physical
“For example, if a client     them perform any ‘crunch-       tion program (details at                                 activity formats include
with prostate cancer had a    type’ exercises,” she says.     thecancerspecialist.com).                                karate, vinyasa flow
retropubic prostatectomy,         To educate trainers on                                                               yoga and every type of
they will probably be         how to safely, effectively                                                               group exercise class.

                                                      SPRING 2020 / AMERICAN FITNESS                                                         11
SPECIALTY TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGN CONCEPTS

A BASEBALL
TRAINING PROGRAM
THAT COVERS ALL
THE BASES
Whether they’re weekend pinch hitters, Little
League legends or players bound for the National
Baseball Hall of Fame, baseball athletes can                                                                    A Few
benefit from a periodized program.                                                                              Hard-Hitting
                                                                                                                Baseball
B Y M A RT Y M I L L E R                                                                                        Statistics
                                                                                                                These numbers won’t
                                                                                                                help you pick a world
Baseball players face year-round conditioning challenges—but this year more than ever. At                       series champion—but
the highest levels, professional baseball players would normally spend approximately 10                         they may provide some
                                                                                                                perspective on the
months of the year either preparing for or playing their season. Highly competitive youth
                                                                                                                physical demands placed
baseball athletes could match this rigorous timeline, while other youth teams may have                          on baseball players.
seasons lasting anywhere from 4 to 8 months (see “Let’s ‘Strike Out’ Youth Injuries,” page

                                                                                                               4.3–4.4
15). Today, however, the challenges of safely maintaining or restarting a training program
are greater than ever, especially given the many people do not fully understand the physi-
cal demands of the sport. This article can help trainers focus on what to do next.                                      seconds
To keep athletes on the field as much as        are many shared stressors faced by everyone                       sprint time from home
possible when seasons begin again, fitness      on the team.                                                        plate to first base

professionals can help by systematically            For instance, baseball players are ro-
transitioning them through multiple phases      tational athletes, the majority being one-
of training throughout the rest of the year.    sided rotational athletes. Even the very        preventable, collision injuries can occur
This can improve players’ performance           small percentage of baseball players who        when players run into one another or hit
on the field, facilitate their recovery off     can swing a bat effectively from both sides     the ground as they dive for a ball or slide
the field and reduce their risk of injuries     of the plate (i.e., switch-hitters) typically   into a base.
associated with the sport.                      throw with only one arm. Core-oblique               The good news is that, if an athlete is
    Read on to learn more about the physical    injuries are common among baseball play-        well-educated on how to get in shape prior
impact of this all-American sport—and get       ers, due to the rapid acceleration involved     to game play—and knows how to train
some ground rules for trainers who work         in swinging a bat.                              (think SAQ), communicate and engage in
with its players.                                   Repetitive throwing is another type of      self-care during the season—the likelihood
                                                motion that causes extreme stress on the        of such injuries decreases dramatically.
How Baseball Affects                            body, specifically the shoulder and elbow
the Kinetic Chain                               complex. Injuries to the lower extremities—     Putting the NASM OPT™
Baseball is a dynamic sport that places         such as strains to the hamstrings, groin or     Model in Play
great stress throughout the kinetic chain.      quads—are also common; these are caused         Generally speaking, a conditioning program
Though specific demands vary slightly           by the rapid acceleration required to run       for a baseball player—regardless of age or skill
depending on the positions played, there        the bases or field a ball. And, while less      level—should progress through the NASM

12                                                  AMERICAN FITNESS / SPRING 2020
3.6
    seconds
                                      15
                                   average number
                                                                  87
                                                                 miles
                                                                                               221
                                                                                           number of times
                                                                                                                      238
                                                                                                                    average number of
    (or less)                     of pitches thrown             per hour                   a catcher throws       times a catcher squats
                                      per inning                                              (per game)                (per game)
sprint time to “steal”                                       average velocity of a
     second base                                             fastball (first inning)
                                                                                                                           Source: NASM 2019.

  Optimum Performance Training™ model           shoulder. The program will ideally begin          PHASE 3. Establish proper human
  (below). Specifically, the program should     during preseason training and continue         movement at high speeds in the Power
  focus on establishing sound biomechanics      throughout the year, being adapted as          phase of training.
  and structural integrity in the stabilizing   needed to optimize performance and aid            Players will benefit from regular as-
  muscles of the core, scapula and shoulder     in recovery, but it’s the progression that’s   sessments of their performance both on
  and should include appropriate exercises      important here, if the athlete has been        and off the field. Assessments can identify
  to ensure proper mobility in the hip and      unable to train.                               muscle imbalances, making it possible to
                                                    Here’s one way to look at the three        start a corrective exercise program before
  THE NASM
                                                distinct phases of training employed with      they become too problematic.
  OPT ™
                                                baseball athletes:
  MODEL
                                                    PHASE 1. Establish proper human            S TA B I L I Z AT I O N
                                                movement in the Stabilization Endurance        ENDURANCE TRAINING
                                                phase of training.                             The first phase of training that a baseball
                                                    PHASE 2. Establish proper human            player should undertake is a Stabilization
                                                movement under load in the Strength            Endurance program. The goal of this phase is
                                                Endurance phase of training.                   to establish (or reestablish) proper movement

                                                      SPRING 2020 / AMERICAN FITNESS                                                      13
SPECIALTY TRAINING PROGRAM DESIGN CONCEPTS

patterns, neuromuscular efficiency and            for prolonged periods of time. Training
muscular endurance for the muscles that           should include supersets, particularly
maintain ideal joint positions. For baseball      for the shoulders, back, chest and legs
players, this is important especially as it       (biceps and triceps are optional).
applies to core, scapular and shoulder
stabilization and rotator cuff endurance.         POWER TRAINING
    Many of the upper-extremity injuries          After the Strength Endurance phase is
associated with the throwing motion can           complete, the athlete can progress to the
be directly linked to athletes not being          Power phase of training. The goal here is to
able to stabilize their core and scapula.         establish explosive power so the athlete can
Contributing factors include diminished           generate more bat speed, more explosive
range of motion with internal rotation of         speed while running, and more upper-
the throwing shoulder, as well as issues with     extremity explosive power for throwing
hip mobility. For all baseball athletes, it is    the baseball farther and/or faster.
essential to address these problems before           A key point to remember is that the
training demands increase and/or prior to         act of practicing or playing the game of
the competitive season.                           baseball creates a high volume of explo-
                                                  sive power-based movements. This is why          C O R R E C T I V E E X E RC I S E
S T R E N GT H E N D U R A N C E                  the NASM Performance Enhancement                 TRAINING
TRAINING                                          Specialist curriculum recommends that            During in-season training, the program
Following the Stabilization Endurance             off-the-field “power-training days” be           should include corrective exercises to
phase of training, the athlete should             reserved for January and February, before        address any impaired movement patterns
progress to the Strength Endurance phase.         coaches ramp up time on the field. During        that surface during game play or practice.
Building off the foundation created in            baseball season itself, the goal should be to    Teaching baseball players a self-care pro-
Phase 1, this second phase allows for             maintain power, so a plyometrics exercise        gram that includes proper soft-tissue work
advancements in overall strength and              or two can be integrated into Phase 1 or         with foam rollers or other self-massage
develops the ability to apply strength            Phase 2 training during those weeks.             implements will go a long way toward

 Sample In-Season Training Programs: Phases 1 and 2
 From April through September, the         SA M PLE WEEKLY SCH EDU L E                        SAMPL E DAY: PH ASE 2 :
 NASM In-Season OPT™ Baseball Plan         Monday: strength endurance                         STREN GTH EN DU RAN CE
 is about “Developing a systematic         Tuesday: off                                       For each exercise, have the athlete
 in-season maintenance plan that           Wednesday: corrective exercise                     complete 10 reps at 75% intensity with no
 allows the athlete to minimize            Thursday: off                                      rest between sets. Repeat each superset 2
 decreases in performance and              Friday: stabilization endurance                    times.
 chance of injury over a long season       Saturday: corrective exercise                         chest superset: 1. incline dumbbell
 with repetitive sport movement            Sunday: off                                        press / 2. cable chest press
 patterns (hitting and throwing)”                                                                back superset: 1. seated cable row / 2.
 (NASM 2019).                              DA I LY PR OGR AMMIN G                             single-leg straight-arm pulldown
    The overall recommendation             The programming for both Phase 1 and                  shoulders superset: 1. seated dumbbell
 is to rotate among stabilization          Phase 2 workouts should include a warmup,          scaption / 2. single-leg cable lift
 endurance, strength endurance and         static stretching and a cooldown, as well as          legs superset: 1. lunge (frontal plane) /
 corrective exercise training, plus        core, balance, SAQ and resistance exercises.       2. single-leg squat touchdown
 recovery days. Note that players          Suggestions for resistance moves for both
 may also have a game most days/           phases are offered below.
 nights of the week, and the plan
 will need to be adjusted based on         SA M PLE DAY: PH ASE 1 :
 travel requirements, activity level in    STA B I LI ZATI ON EN DU RAN CE
 a particular game, new or tweaked         For each exercise, have the athlete complete
 injuries, and other variables.            2 sets of 15 reps at a 4/2/1 tempo at 65%
                                           intensity with no rest between sets.
                                              total body: cable squat to row
                                              chest: suspension pushup (feet in straps)
                                              back: single-leg bent-over dumbbell cobra
                                              shoulders: single-leg cable lift
 Not all moves are pictured.                  legs: step-up to balance (frontal plane)                  PUSHUP WITH FEET IN STRAPS

14                                                    AMERICAN FITNESS / SPRING 2020
Let’s “Strike Out” Youth Injuries                                                                      sample training programs for baseball,
                                                                                                       basketball, football, golf, hockey and soc-
Even though leading medical experts in the field of sports medicine have vocally stated that           cer, as well as comprehensive guidelines
youth athletes should not focus on just one sport, there has been an increasing push for sports        for improving athletic performance in any
specialization among a large percentage of youth athletes. It comes as little surprise that injuries   sport or fitness endeavor. Learn more at
in youth baseball have risen dramatically alongside this trend.                                        nasm.org/pes.
   The results of this can be seen in the youth statistics for a surgical procedure that is common
among Major League Baseball players. Called “Tommy John” surgery, it involves reconstruction of                                  MARTY MILLER,
the ulnar collateral ligament. The number of young athletes (ages 15–19) having this surgery has                                 DHSC, NASM-CPT,
risen by more than 50% since it was first performed in 1974 (Cleveland Clinic Newsroom 2019).                                    CES, PES, ATC, is
   As with adult players, young baseball athletes can benefit from a periodized training program                          director of educa-
that follows the NASM Optimum Performance Training™ model and integrates special exercises                                tion and training for
and tips from the NASM Performance Enhancement Specialist curriculum. The PES includes an                                 Technogym® North
entire section of programming for offseason, preseason and in-season training, making it the                              America and a Master
perfect adjunct to the NASM Youth Exercise Specialist. Learn more about both programs at               Instructor for NASM. He has been a fit-
nasm.org/continuing-education/fitness-specializations.                                                 ness educator for more than 20 years and
                                                                                                       is an adjunct professor with the Califor-
  keeping them healthy throughout the                 levels of performance while decreasing the       nia University of Pennsylvania.
  baseball season. Training should also               number of soft-tissue injuries caused by the
  include an appropriate flexibility program          physical demands that baseball places on         REFERENCES
  that emphasizes stretches of the posterior          the kinetic chain. The better your athletes      Cleveland Clinic Newsroom. 2019. Rise in youth ‘Tommy John’
                                                                                                       surgery is concerning. Accessed Feb. 20, 2020: newsroom
  shoulder capsule, lats, pecs and hip flexors.       are conditioned, the better they may be          .clevelandclinic.org/2019/07/08/rise-in-youth-tommy-john-
                                                      able to handle the stress on the body, al-       surgery-concerning.
  Get Ready to Hit a Home                             lowing them to keep their eye on the ball            NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine). 2019.
                                                                                                       Essentials of Sports Performance Training (2nd ed., pp. 555–
  Run (With Clients)                                  and their head in the game.                      71). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
  The purpose of a well-devised training                 Editor’s note: The NASM Performance
  program is to help athletes achieve higher          Enhancement Specialization offers complete

  CHEST PRESS                                             FRONTAL PLANE STEP-UP TO BALANCE

                                                  FRONTAL PLANE LUNGE                                   SINGLE-LEG SQUAT TOUCHDOWN

                                                          SPRING 2020 / AMERICAN FITNESS                                                                       15
INSTRUCTOR NOTES SHARPENING YOUR SKILLS

  ADAPTING
  ONE-ON-ONE CONTENT
  TO A GROUP SETTING
Transfer ideas from personal training education to the classroom.
B Y K Y M B E R LY W I L L I A M S - E VA N S , M A

Personal trainers have so many great ideas to choose from when training their one-on-                  back to reduce slack. Tubing is perfect for a
one clients, but you teach group fitness—can you use those same ideas? Maybe you                       group class and is an effective, popular and
                                                                                                       inexpensive piece of equipment. However,
recently attended an inspiring fitness event that offered amazing programming ideas or
                                                                                                       moves like the two examples here require
just read an article or watched a video that included novel moves you’d like to imple-                 the tubing to be secured farther away than
ment, but the source focused on client-trainer workouts.                                               self-anchoring allows. Also, the anchor
                                                                                                       must be strong enough to withstand the
Whatever the case, even if you were not the           LIMITING FACTOR: INSUFFICIENT                    exerciser’s pushing and pulling. Rather
intended target, you can still take advantage         OR IMPRACTICAL SETUP                             than abandon resistance tubing moves, try
of one-on-one content. All you need are a             Presenters and online tutorials often incor-     one (or both!) of the following solutions:
few adaptations and some creativity, and              porate resistance tubing into programming,           PARTNER UP. Pair participants with some-
you can bring personal training ideas and             and typically the trainer anchors the tube to    one similar in height and/or fitness level.
moves into the group fitness room.                    a wall hook for the client. Few classrooms       Partner 1 acts as the “hook,” holding the
                                                      have hooks installed on the walls, especially    tubing in place, while Partner 2 holds the
Limiting Factors and                                  in the numbers or locations needed for           handles and performs the move, stepping
Possible Solutions                                    multiple people to get a well-rounded            far enough away from Partner 1 to create
First, let’s look at some of the obstacles            workout. For example, you’re probably            the appropriate tension. Partners should
involved in implementing one-on-one                   not going to find hooks high enough for          then switch places. You must know your
workouts in a group setting, along with               triceps kickbacks or at chest height for rows,   group and be confident that each person
viable class conversions.                             along with space for participants to step        can safely withstand the resistance that

16                                                        AMERICAN FITNESS / SPRING 2020
the working person provides. One caveat:        but only a few stability balls, yoga blocks,      or four exercises with balls, while Team 2
If you work with frail, arthritic, high-risk    gliders or Pilates rings. Week after week,        does the same with free weights, and then
or low-experience groups, partnering is not     your only options may seem to be dumbbells        switch (see the sidebar “Sample ‘Limited
a safe option.                                  and body-weight drills. But let’s say you         Equipment’ Drill” for more).
    USE BALLET BARS, IF AVAILABLE. Some         want to offer moves using stability balls,
group fitness rooms have permanent bal-         even though your club has fewer than 20           Limiting Factor: Gathering
let bars anchored to a wall (portable bars      of them and several are on the floor, being       Accurate Feedback
will not work). Wrap the tubes around the       used by trainers and clients. Again, you          One benefit of working with a dedicated
bars, spacing class members appropriately.      have a few simple options:                        trainer is that a client can get specific, im-
While you can’t change the bars’ height to          PARTNER UP. As long as you can round          mediate, relevant feedback that can then
the proper line of pull, you can change the     up at least 10 balls, partner people up and       be used to adjust the workout in real time.
position of the exercisers. Have participants   alternate. Partner 1 uses the ball, while         Trainers consistently check in with their
kneel on the floor for triceps kickbacks.       Partner 2 does a free-weight exercise or          clients and ask questions such as “How does
Ask taller people to squat or lunge for         simply waits her turn. Avoid groups of three      this intensity feel?” or “Compared withlast
                                                because either members will have to wait          week, how is your energy level today?”
Sample ‘Limited                                 too long for their turns or the setup will            Open-ended questions like these pro-
Equipment’ Drill                                get messy. For instance, if Partner 1 is on
                                                the ball, Partner 2 is using free weights and
                                                                                                  vide the information needed to adjust the
                                                                                                  workout appropriately. However, can you
 You have 10 stability balls, plenty of dumb-   Partner 3 is waiting for a turn, inevitably,      imagine the cacophony and audial chaos if
 bells, some innovative personal training       when they rotate, they’ll get confused or         you were to ask such questions of a group?
 exercises you learned at a recent confer-      distracted.                                       “What kind of music do you like?” or “Let
 ence, and about 20 participants. What do           CREATE A CIRCUIT. If you have fewer than      me know how you’re feeling.” Not only
 you do? Break the class into two teams         10 balls for 20 people, set up a circuit. Maybe
 and put the balls on one side of the room,     you also have five steps, four weighted balls,
 the free weights on the other. Teach the       a ton of free weights and four bands. Do                 If you have fewer
 following moves and switch out teams           the math, assess your space, and set up five
 after several exercises in a row.              stations with four people and four pieces
                                                                                                          than 10 balls for
 Team 1: Stability Ball
                                                of equipment at each station.                           20 people, set up a
                                                    F ORM TEAMS AND TAKE TURNS. If you
 Rotate through the following exercises,
                                                have at least 10 units of the equipment
                                                                                                        circuit. Maybe you
 then switch sides.
    • Pike on the ball, 12x.
                                                you want, but not 20, break the class into             also have five steps,
                                                two teams. Set up 10 stability balls on
    • Sit on the ball and “write” your
                                                one side of the room and free weights
                                                                                                       four weighted balls,
       full name in cursive.
    • Start by sitting on the ball. Do
                                                on the other. For efficiency’s sake, switch            a ton of free weights
                                                out teams after several exercises in a row,
       reverse squats, rising only high
                                                instead of sooner. Have Team 1 do three
                                                                                                          and four bands.
       enough to maintain some contact
       with ball, 12x.

 Team 2: Dumbbells
    • Lunge and biceps curl, 12x.
    • Bridge and chest press, 12x.
    • Squat while weaving a dumbbell
       around the legs in a figure-eight
       pattern, transferring weight from
       your left hand to your right.
       Reverse direction.

alternating rows and have shorter people
stand tall so the anchor point is in the same
plane as the working muscles.

LIMITING FACTOR: NOT
ENOUGH EQUIPMENT
Trainers need just one of a given piece of
equipment to meet a client’s needs. You
may have 20 people in your class and more
than 100 dumbbells of different weights,

                                                    SPRING 2020 / AMERICAN FITNESS                                                           17
INSTRUCTOR NOTES SHARPENING YOUR SKILLS

would you have a barrage of responses,              to this, take a break from the front of the       SAVE BIG MOVES FOR DAYS WITH SMALL AT-
but you’d be unable to decipher the indi-           room and walk around to give people            TENDANCE. Sometimes you simply have to
vidual replies. Instead, try the following          personalized attention. Help someone           forget creative solutions and save traveling
approaches:                                         with his form; stand next to a participant     moves for when attendance is low. Everyone
   ASK FOR HAND RAISES/VOTES TO CLOSED-             who is modeling a modification and cue         has days when few people show up for a
ENDED QUESTIONS. Say, “Put your hand up             others to follow that person’s lead; or if     class. Whatever the reason (e.g., a holiday,
if this intensity/progression/complexity            you suspect that someone is struggling or      traffic delays or a storm), take advantage
(whatever you want to establish) is just right/     needs a change, sidle up to her and quietly    of the lower numbers to bring those “big
too much/too little” or “Hands up if your           ask a question.                                space” moves into the classroom.
energy seems higher/lower/the same today                                                               TAKE YOUR CLASS OUTSIDE. If the weather
compared with last week.” Craft questions           Limiting Factor:                               permits and your facility is located near
that require a yes or no vote. While you            Not Enough Space                               a wide-open space, consider doing a drill
can’t meet each individual’s need, you can          Some moves require a lot of space to ex-       outside. Check with management to ensure
go with the majority or offer alternatives          ecute. We’ve all seen clients traversing the   this is in line with policy.
based on the responses: “If your hand went          gym floor doing lunges, sled pulls or ladder       While these adaptations can be simple
up for yes, then do option A; if you voted          drills. One person might be maneuvering        and easy, they are not always obvious. If
no, then option B is for you.”                      through machines, halls or openings on         you see trainers doing cool things with
   WALK THE ROOM AND OFFER PERSONALIZED             the gym floor. How do you fit “big space”      their clients, think a bit “inside the box”
ATTENTION. If the format lends itself well          moves into a group setting?                    of your classroom to bring even more to
                                                                                                   your group members.
Get Ready for Greatness at Optima 2020                                                                                KYMBERLY
 Speaking of getting the best ideas from the best brains in the fitness business, set your                            WILLIAMS-EVANS,
 sights on Optima 2020. As an NASM/AFAA fitness professional, you are dedicated to                                    PHD (ABD), has
                                                                                                                    taught group fitness
 helping others live their lives to the fullest, but don’t forget about yourself and your own
                                                                                                                    on land, at sea and
 goals. Set aside a weekend this fall for the ultimate fitness education experience to
                                                                                                                    across the airwaves for
 boost your personal and professional growth to new levels. The NASM and AFAA Optima                                four decades, in four
 2020 Conference is celebrating 6 years of providing the best education to help you help           languages and over four continents.
 your community thrive. For more information, visit nasmOptima.com.

18                                                      AMERICAN FITNESS / SPRING 2020
TAKE YOUR CAREER TO THE NEXT LEVEL
  BECOME A CORRECTIVE EXERCISE SPECIALIST

      NASM’s Corrective Exercise Specialization provides a foundation for training
    everyone, from weekend warriors to professional athletes. It is the gold standard
                       for efficient and effective program design.

   Learn advanced techniques to identify and correct movement compensations.

   Create personalized workouts to address every client’s needs.

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                      SAVE $100
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     doing what they love.” – Kathy Zetterberg, NASM CPT, CES, PES, GFS
BUSINESS COACH LESSONS FOR YOUR BOTTOM LINE

OWN THE BUSINESS OF GROUP FITNESS:
UTILIZING DATA TO WIN BIG
Your members, instructors and club owners have unique needs. Keep this trifecta
happy by understanding the metrics of group exercise participation.
B Y K AT E R E Z A B E K , M E D

Making your bottom line a top priority is more important than ever in today’s competitive       1. Club Traffic
fitness landscape. As clubs, studios and boutiques strive to recover from the effects of CO-    Once things settle back into a normal
VID-19, you will really need to own the business side of group fitness to stay relevant and     groove, knowing how many people are
                                                                                                entering your business on a daily basis is
in the game. And when it comes to leading a winning group fitness program, understanding        critical. Chances are, your facility already
the metrics that drive success—and how to use them to build value in your program—is            uses a software program to track member
key. In fact, it’s the first step in running your department like a business (Rezabek 2018).    check-ins, likely with an app or a key tag to
                                                                                                identify who’s coming in the door.
The thing is, our members, our instructors           Here, let’s unpack the key performance         It’s important to understand how many
and our company owners all have pressing          indicators (KPIs) that every group fitness    people are in your location and when
needs: The people in each category play a         manager should track—because, when you        they’re arriving so you can explore trends
critical role in our business success, and we     run your department and the technology        and patterns. Are there spikes of visitors
ultimately want to do our best for all of them.   that supports it like a well-oiled machine,   checking in before the workday starts?
The good news? When you have a strong             the data won’t lie, and you’ll all win big.   Does your traffic pick up midmorning after
grasp on what the numbers show—from
club traffic to cost per head—you can make
decisions that effectively support all these
key players. You’ll provide the program-
ming that matters most to the members;
you’ll be a better coach and manager (a true
leader who’s driving value, participation,
retention, culture, engagement and more);
and you’ll be able to produce measurable,
trackable and growth-focused results for
the company.
                                          

       You can probably
     pinpoint trends with
      your observations
     and gut instinct, but
     with actual data, you
      can position value
      for your business,
      which gives you a
       solid foundation.

20                                                   AMERICAN FITNESS / SPRING 2020
kids go to school? Does it get busy again
in the evenings—and, if so, at what time?
                                                     Bonus Points:
                                                 
    You can probably pinpoint these trends           Using Data to Grow Your Team
with your observations and gut instinct,
                                                     Data doesn’t lie, but interpreting club metrics and then learning from them is
but with actual data, you can really position
                                                     not always easy. It’s important for group fitness department leaders to help their
value for your business. This gives you a
foundation for delivering on other success           instructors understand how they can positively influence future results through
metrics in group fitness. For example, you           actions and behaviors the instructors can control.
may see patterns that differ on certain days         Some tips for leaders to share with staff:
of the week. Knowing your traffic on an              • Connect with participants before and after class so you can get to know each other.
hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly            •P  romote class benefits on social media (if permitted by the business).
and year-over-year basis is critical to              •P  ersonally invite new members to class and help them get set up for success.
being able to craft a program that grows             •K  eep music fresh, upbeat and relevant.
participation.                                       •V  ary exercises and class formats—don’t let your classes get stale.
    PRO LEADERSHIP TIP. If you run traffic           •S  how options and modifications for all fitness levels.
reports for your club and find there’s a
                                                     •B  e prepared for every class with a plan you can mold and adapt as needed.
certain day of the week or a particular time
                                                     •M  otivate, energize and stay positive each time you teach.
slot when check-ins drop, then talk to or
                                                     • Be genuine, authentic and relatable. In other words, be an inspiration to participants.
survey your instructors and members to
understand their needs and interests. You            Adopt these tips, and you’ll see your culture and engagement grow, along with
may discover areas where you can make                class participation. That’s good for morale—and good for business!
small changes to your schedule that will
affect class attendance and, ultimately,            With today’s uptick in smartphone us-           3. Percentage of Group
retention.                                      age, using technology to input and analyze          Fitness Participation
                                                attendance is easier than ever. More and            This metric builds on the “class attendance”
2. Class Attendance                             more club software programs are making              one, showing you how many of the people
Class attendance goes hand in hand with         it possible for instructors to pop their            who come to your facility are taking group
club traffic. However, the class metric goes    numbers into an app right after class and           fitness classes. Some larger clubs offer a lot
further, showing not only how many people       then quickly be on their way.                       of amenities beyond group fitness—aquat-
are in the club but what they’re doing there.       If this is not an investment you have           ics, free weights, machines, racquetball,
                                                made yet, think about how much time                 saunas and more. So keep in mind that,
                                                and effort you’ll save (and the efficiency          in some scenarios, your members have a
                                                you’ll drive for your department) when              lot of options to choose from each day,
                                                everyone can record key metrics “on the go.”        which may influence this metric.
                                                Accuracy improves when instructors can                  If you’re tracking club check-ins and
                                                input data in real time and you don’t have          class attendance digitally, most software
                                                to transfer daily numbers manually from a           programs will automatically calculate this
                                                paper tracking system into a spreadsheet.           statistic for you. If you need to do the math
                                                This reduces copying and calculation errors         yourself, it’s simple: Take the number of
                                                and saves you time for more value-added             people who attend your classes in a set time
                                                tasks, like engaging with participants and          period, divide this figure by the number of
                                                coaching your team.                                 people who checked into your club during
                                                    PRO LEADERSHIP TIP. Be mindful of               that same time, and then multiply by 100 to
                                                making quick decisions based on these               see the percentage of your total members
                                                numbers. When you notice attendance                 who are group exercise participants.
                                                is down in certain time slots, don’t im-                You can dig down as far as hourly on
                                                mediately pull a class off the schedule.            this metric to see how your classes perform
                                                Work with your instructors to craft a plan          at both peak and off-peak times of day.
                                                based on variables they can control, such           Whether you’re looking at year-over-year
                                                as intensity or type of music. (See “Bonus          trends, monthly percentages or hourly
                                                Points: Using Data to Grow Your Team,”              penetration by time slot, this is a powerful
                                                above, for specific ideas.) Keep in mind            indicator for class value and performance.
                                                that new classes and instructors need                   PRO LEADERSHIP TIP. Once you know your
                                                time to establish themselves, while more            facility’s baseline (current group exercise
                                                seasoned ones may need a refresher. For             participation)—and how this percentage
                                                sustained results, pay attention to data and        varies by the hour, day, month and year—
                                                behavioral trends over time.                        you can make more intentional changes.

                                                      SPRING 2020 / AMERICAN FITNESS                                                           21
BUSINESS COACH LESSONS FOR YOUR BOTTOM LINE

For example, you might implement new
                                                
marketing efforts or retention programs             We all want to do our best for members, instructors
to attract more people into specific time
slots and classes.                                  and the business itself. Using metrics to determine
                                                    where to make changes is a great way to objectively
4. Cost per Head
Cost per head (CPH) measures how much               position your team for success.
you’re spending on payroll per participant,
and it’s a simple formula: Take the dollar
amount you’re paying your instructor to        hold more people, so you can significantly     benefit to driving class participation and
teach a particular class, and then divide      lower your CPH and payroll costs by            bringing new members into your clubs.
that by the number of participants in the      bringing more participants into fewer              PRO LEADERSHIP TIP. Do your research
class. Determining CPH for each time           classes. On the other hand, the more your      to understand what instructors are making
slot—ideally on a month-over-month and         instructor gets paid per class, the higher     in your local area. If your compensation
year-over-year basis—can really help you       the CPH will rise. That said, compensat-       is competitive and you hire great talent,
identify which classes are performing well     ing your instructors with a competitive        your membership and participation will
and where you need to make changes.            rate, especially if they’re a real value-add   grow, while your cost per head will stay
   Depending on the size of your studio,       to your team and your program, will help       in a profitable range.
CPH can vary greatly. Larger studios can       you attract and retain top talent, a huge
                                                                                              It All Adds Up: Manage the
     Move Your Fitness Career                                                                 Data Strategically
                                                                                              Walking a fine line between the people we

     NASM BUSINESS ACCELERATOR IS YOUR PROFIT ALLY                                            serve and the data we track takes some skill.
     Take an important step toward building a profitable, sustainable and successful          We all want to do our best for our trifecta of
     career (and earn CEUs) with the NASM Business Accelerator program. This exclu-           members, instructors and business owners,
     sive online program offers the highest-quality content to help you connect with          and using metrics to determine where to
     potential clients, charge what you’re worth and learn how to fill your schedule          make changes is a great way to objectively
     with people you enjoy working with.                                                      position your team for success. Being fair,
        The program provides step-by-step techniques on how to maximize your time,            honest, open and objective when it comes
                                                                                              to results will always lead you to do the
     your profits and the value you deliver.
                                                                                              right thing, especially for your team and
        Students who successfully complete the NASM Business Accelerator program
                                                                                              your members.
     will have the ability to
                                                                                                  Tracking metrics, analyzing trends and
     •  examine the principles of fitness business success;                                  making decisions that incorporate quanti-
     •  learn how best to price and package services for growth and profitability;           tative and qualitative results will also help
     •  apply a world-class sales process;                                                   your department become more profitable
     •  identify how to create a comfortable and trusting environment for potential         than ever. When you position value in your
         clients;                                                                             program by growing the KPIs that drive
     •  overcome the four most common objections by prospects; and                           membership, retention and more, you’ll
     •  examine marketing techniques to attract and keep clients.                            win big, and your club will, too.
     For more information, visit nasm.org/continuing-education/business-accelerator.
                                                                                                                         KATE REZABEK,
                                                                                                                         MED, has worked in
                                                                                                                  the fitness industry
                                                                                                                  for more than 16
                                                                                                                  years. An experienced
                                                                                                                  business strategist,
                                                                                              writer, editor, facilitator, instructor and
                                                                                              program director, she helps new manag-
                                                                                              ers grow into effective leaders. Visit kat-
                                                                                              erezabek.com or follow @KateRezabek.

                                                                                              REFERENCE
                                                                                              Rezabek, K. 2018. A training plan for group fitness managers.
                                                                                              American Fitness. Accessed Mar. 10, 2020: magazine.nasm.
                                                                                              org/american-fitness-magazine/issues/american-fitness-
                                                                                              magazine-spring-2018/a-training-plan-for-group-fitness-
                                                                                              managers.

22                                                  AMERICAN FITNESS / SPRING 2020
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